


Misunderstandings and Mutual Disasters

by glaivenoct



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Misunderstandings, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26663944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glaivenoct/pseuds/glaivenoct
Summary: Noctis wanted to ask Nyx out. It didn't go according to plan.Nyx wanted to ask Noctis out. It also didn't go according to plan.Noctis and Nyx endure the consequences of being mutual disasters.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Nyx Ulric
Comments: 18
Kudos: 33
Collections: NyxNoct Week 2020





	Misunderstandings and Mutual Disasters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lightinthehall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightinthehall/gifts).



_ I need to leave the country immediately. _

The text was sent to Prompto nearly thirty minutes ago and Noct can’t stop staring at it. It’s his one and only train of thought at the moment, stuck on a ruthless loop in his own head while he paces back and forth in his apartment. He tried sitting down to focus on his breathing, but every time he closes his eyes, Noct relives the moment he made a fool of himself. 

He’s  _ The Prince of Lucis _ , for Shivasake. Meant to inherit the throne and rule a kingdom. One would  _ think  _ he has a better grasp on social cues. No, no, no. Apparently any semblance of holding a normal interaction is out the door the second he’s faced with rugged features, a square jaw and periwinkle blue eyes. 

Training with Nyx was going so well. Noct was at his peak performance, impressing Nyx with his speed and precision as they sparred. Hell, he figured even Gladio would give him a pat on the back and tell him he needed to see that fire more often. Nyx brings it out in him so easily, with his stupidly handsome smirk and the way he playfully goads Noct into keeping up with him as he warps. 

With his confidence at an all time high, Noctis was ready to tell Prompto he was finally making headway with Nyx. A few more days, a few more training sessions, a little more flirting, and maybe Noct would be ready to ask him out after working up the courage for ages.

But then that simple fist was raised at him and -

“Noct?” Prompto knocks even though Noct mentioned the door would be open. “You here, buddy?”

“Here,” Noct says as he hears the click of the door and the squeak of what he assumes are Prompto’s running shoes. At last he looks up from his phone and stuffs it in his pocket, relieved when Prompto emerges from the hallway.

“Whoa.” Prompto huffs. He’s still wearing his joggers and hoodie, likely having made a detour on his running route after receiving a flurry of Noct’s panicked texts. “No offense, dude, but you look like a wreck.”

“I’m not a wreck,  _ I’m an idiot _ !”

“Those could easily be the same thing.” Prompto’s halfway to a smile, but stops when Noct’s eyes widen at him in both horror and despair. “Not helping, right. My bad.” He saunters to the couch and plops into the cushions with all the grace of a gigantaod, patting the space next to him. “So why do you need to leave the country?”

Rather than sitting down, Noct starts to pace again, twisting his wrists and cracking his knuckles.

“I did something stupid and embarassing in front of Nyx after we finished sparring and now I can never face him again. ”

“Oh gods, did you accidentally hit him with a thunder spell?”

“No.”

“Did you warp into a wall!?”

“No.”

“Did you warp and rip your pants again?”

“ _ No _ , I told you never to talk about that!” Noct stops in his tracks just to glare at him. Prompto raises his hands in defeat, gesturing for him to proceed. Noct sighs into his palms and scrubs them down his face. He can already feel that unsettling cringe tingling beneath his skin. “We were talking and he kept  _ looking at me _ in this way that made me feel like I was gonna puke. Then he raised his hand at me for a fist bump and…”

Prompto nods at him, brows rising in a silent “ _ And? _ ”

“I leaned in and said ‘Hello’.”

Prompto blinks at him and Noct can feel his face burning red just like it did when he realized what he had done. He remembers Nyx staring at him confused and unsure what to say, ultimately coming up with a baffled “ _ Um...”  _ before Noctis fled. He stammered something about needing to leave. He’s sure he did, and he left Nyx to contemplate how  _ strange  _ Noctis must be or why he ever thought flirting with him was a good idea.

“Uh… hello?”

“Like I was talking into a microphone.” Noct clarifies with a pout, feeling the urge to disappear when Prompto parts his lips in shock and slowly raises a brow at him. He scrambles for his phone again, groaning. “Gods, I have to get out of here!”

“Noct, hold on -”

“I don’t even know where to go! I’ve barely been outside Insomnia…”

“Dude, if you just slow down for a sec - ”

“What do you think about a chocobo farm? Can never have too many of those! There has to be one somewhere in the middle of nowhere.”

“Noct!” Prompto’s suddenly in front of him, snatching his phone away. “You want to crawl under a rock and die, I get it. But how ‘bout you sit down for a moment, breathe and we’ll figure out how to fix this.”

“The only way you can fix this is if you let me call Ignis.”

“Uh, why?”

“He’s probably the only one who can get me a new identity.”

“‘Course he is,” Prompto sighs, patting Noct on the back and guiding him to the couch.

\---

“Well you’re a fucking disaster.”

Nyx never expected to explain the situation to Crowe without getting laughed at. He doesn’t blame her or feel offended in the slightest. No, Nyx is too painfully aware of his royal fuck up to even glare at her as she struggles to hold back her sputtering snickers. He can only offer a deadpan stare to the almost empty plate of skewers between them. 

Crowe never turns down an invitation for food and beer at Yamachang’s little hut. It’s what little compensation Nyx can offer for her continual lending of an ear and wisdom in his dating crises. In his past years of venting, however, Nyx can’t remember another time he was such a disaster. Confidence never proves to be an issue for him. In fact, he can’t keep count of the times people have told him he’s overconfident. He’s had his moment of self doubt, but he always managed to get through, even if it meant faking it.

Somehow he lost every shred of confidence with Noctis earlier. As if the delicate curve of his lips and that laugh as soft and pleasant as a cloud revealing the sun made Nyx forget everything he thought he knew. 

It was a simple question Nyx had easily asked others before. Something to fill the short lapse of silence between him and Noctis. The perfect opening he had been looking for, but then - 

“Let me get this straight.” Crowe sets down her beer with a distinct clunk, raising a hand and gesturing at Nyx as she sifts the details in her head before repeating them out loud. “You wanted to ask Prince-boy out, but instead you offered him a fist bump.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Nyx, what the hell?” Crowe laughs again.

“Fuckin’ disaster, yeah, we established that! Let’s skip to the part where you tell me how to fix this.”

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.”

“ _ Crowe _ .”

“What do you want me to say?” Crowe huffs and leans back, crossing her arms over her chest. “How did the prince even react?”

Nyx is sure his stupidity is what elicited the reaction from Noctis. Sure, the reaction was a little silly. Silly and cute in a way that would’ve made Nyx smile if he hadn’t spiraled into a panic. Then Noctis ran away before Nyx could even recover the moment. What if he made Noctis feel rejected? Like all the flirting between their competitive barbs and quips at each other during training was never actually meant to be flirting. Like the lingering touches and stares as one helped the other up from the dirt meant nothing. That they were no more than good buddies. 

Gods did he blow it.

“He just made light of it and left. Probably didn’t know how the hell to react after that.”

“Well your solution is still simple - suck it up and try again.”

Nyx stays silent, scrutinizing her like there might be something more behind her answer than she intends. Though Crowe’s never been the type to beat around the bush, surely it can’t be that simple. It doesn’t  _ feel  _ that simple when it’s Noctis. Not because he was the Prince and asking the prince out on a date is so far above his station he might land himself in exile if anyone else knew.

But no, the Noctis that Nyx has had the pleasure of getting to know reminds him of the moonflowers from back home. Closed off beneath the broad rays of the sun, only opening up beneath the preferred cover of night and glow of the moon. Noctis is truest to himself where he feels comfortable, Nyx has noticed, and he wants to see more of it. To see him bloom and to show him there wasn’t a thing about himself he should feel the need to hold back. 

All Nyx had to do was ask him out, but he didn’t want the moment to be anything less than perfect - which is something he’s never found himself fretting over before.

“You just over thought it a little.” Crowe says again. “Which says something because half the time I question whether or not you actually think. You really like him, don’t you?”

Nyx sighs and stares down at his lap. He hears Crowe snort.

“Great, so you’re a disaster and you’re crazy.”

“Just a bit.” Nyx grabs his own beer and takes a swig.

\---

Ignis doesn’t believe him when he says he’s going to forfeit his right to the throne, change identities, buy a plot of land in the middle of nowhere and start a chocobo farm. No, in fact, Ignis gives him that despairing sigh, the roll of his eyes and a weary “Noct,” as if his entire plan is dramatic and impractical. Even if that were true, it doesn’t change the fact Noct can never face Nyx again. So, despite Prompto’s well meaning advice that he’s overthinking things, he does his very best to avoid Nyx. 

He takes the most unconventional routes through the Citadel - the ones that aren’t his usuals and the ones Noctis  _ knows  _ the chances of passing Nyx are slim - much to Ignis’ nuisance when it comes to arriving at meetings punctually. The precaution doesn’t save Noctis, however, a mere two days later when he turns a corner with Ignis and recognizes Nyx as one of the glaives stationed outside the council chambers. 

He stands with a fine posture Noctis can only dream of achieving, arms folded neatly behind his back, a face so vacant and still that one might mistake him for a finely chiseled statue. Noct halts while Ignis is still scrolling through his tablet, rebriefing him on the topics that are to be covered in the meeting. There’s no way Nyx hasn’t already spotted him. There’s no way he isn’t already thinking back to two days ago and holding back his laughter at Noct’s idiocy.

“Noct?” Ignis calls to him, but his voice sounds far away.

“I can’t go that way.” Noct says, blinking back into reality just in time to catch Ignis’ quirked brow. Once glance at the chamber doors and he understands, pushing his glasses up with another sigh. 

“What do you suggest then? Tunneling our way in?” Ignis gives him a hard look as he hesitates to answer. “Noct, you pass guards outside of council chambers all the time. Keep your head down and keep walking. We can’t keep everyone waiting.”

Noctis takes a deep breath and straightens his spine, following reluctantly after Ignis. Nyx remains silent and unblinking, even as he moves in sync with the other glaive to pull the chamber doors open for them. In the few steps Noctis needs to take to survive passing the glaive of his dreams, the world begins to run in slow motion.

Nyx  _ must  _ be judging him. Noctis can feel it like a scorching beam, and the longer it takes for the wretched moment to pass, the more he needs to frantically remind himself not to look at Nyx. Not to think about him. Not to  _ think  _ about  _ thinking about him _ .

But then, just as he reaches the threshold, one of his shoelaces magically comes undone. Noct doesn’t notice until he steps on it and stumbles forward. Nyx is the one to stop him from crashing down on his knees, catching him mid careen, strong arms halting him entirely, and Noct nearly  _ squeaks _ . 

“Highness!” The council members collectively gasp, and he can feel Ignis’ hand on his shoulder. As if he meant to save Noctis from the fall first, but beaten by the brisk reflexes of the hero.

“Alright there, Your Highness?” Nyx asks him, kind and concerned. Noctis wants to shake his head and say no. No because he suddenly can’t remember how to breathe. Nor can he escape the insufferable burn of his cheeks. If he thought he was facing judgement before, there’s no way he isn’t facing it now, and not just in front of Nyx either. 

He’s being nice because he has to. Because Nyx is just a good guy like that.

With that concerned sparkle in his eyes, and the way he so gracefully helps him stand up straight again, Noctis can’t help but feel like a fool. Not purely out of embarrassment, but the sudden train of thought that makes him question why he thought he had a chance with someone like Nyx. Prince or not, he’s in a league that’s far below anything he’s sure the glaive has ever known.

Just a stupid crush and nothing more.

“Fine.” Noctis forces himself to say, quickly pulling away from Nyx should he draw any suspicions from the council or his father. “Fine, um… thanks.”

He glances at Nyx only briefly, catching the way it seems like the glaive wants to say more. Noctis turns and briskly walks away from him without another word.

\---

At first, Nyx thinks the universe is just giving him a hard time. Letting him stew in his misery and embarrassment for a couple days before he has the chance to redeem himself to his prince. No big deal. Crowe’s voice is still in his head reminding him to  _ suck it up _ , and as long as he has that, he chooses not to lose hope just yet. 

The incident outside the council chambers shakes his hopes. When he saves Noctis from that hard fall, the flabbergasted look on his face doesn’t sit well with Nyx. He fears he’s done something wrong when he asks if Noctis is alright. Fears he’s made things weirder and more uncomfortable than he did with that stupid fist bump. He’s not sure what else to conclude from the way Noctis so quickly pulls away from him, or the way he evidently avoids Nyx later when the meeting is over. 

Nyx doesn’t see Noctis again for days, and come their next training session together, Ignis arrives with an apology and explanation that the prince is feeling under the weather today.

“Oh.” Nyx says, suddenly feeling deflated. “Sorry to hear that. Guess I’ll catch him next week?”

“Perhaps…” Ignis answers a note less confident than Nyx would expect. “His schedule’s become rather unpredictable lately. I’m sure he’ll be in touch.”

But as Nyx recalls the fact that he doesn’t have Noctis’ number or vice versa, that explanation becomes the nail in his coffin. The second Ignis turns away, he wants to plop down into the dirt and sigh and stare at the sky as he ponders the cruelty of the universe. It’s all his own fault, too. Him, a full grown man,  _ Hero of the Kingsglaive _ of all people, getting tripped up like a damn schoolboy and making an idiot of himself.

Maybe he’s been out of his mind this whole time… The prince and a glaive. Nyx almost chuckles. He’s sure others would laugh till they were red in the face, slapping their knees and falling from their chairs, because such a concept is unrealistic. Maybe even forbidden. Not that Nyx ever took Noctis for one to buy into the rules and decorum of royalty. He proved his dislike for it more than once, particularly when he pleaded with Nyx to call him “Noct”.

_ Suck it up _ , he can hear Crowe telling him again. If it’s not meant to be, sulking about it isn’t going to do him any good. Nyx sighs quietly to himself.

“His last meeting should be done by four thirty.” Ignis says, startling Nyx. He looks up to see the advisor half turned and facing him with a look he might dare call uncertain. Ignis lifts his chin and turns fully to him. “You’ve chauffeured him to and from his apartment before, haven’t you? Top floor at the end of the hall. If you can pay him a visit sometime past five, well, it would be best to clear this misunderstanding between you two sooner than later.”

“Misunderstanding...?” Nyx says carefully. “What do you - ”

“Noctis seems to be under the impression he’s made a fool of himself in front of you. Given the story I was told and the fact you have the demeanor of a kicked puppy, something tells me that isn’t entirely true.”

Nyx blinks, unsure if he’s confused, grateful, or now embarrassed by the fact he was that obvious.

Noctis. The sweet, feisty Prince Noctis that absolutely gives his heart and combat skills a run for his money, thinks he made a fool of himself? Nyx was originally thrown off guard by the silly reaction to his ridiculous fist bump, but… that’s all it was. Silly. Funny. Cute. Dorky. In fact, it made Nyx regret the fact he failed to ask him out even more! 

He can already hear Crowe cackling at him and coining him yet again as a sheer disaster. Though, now knowing that Noctis doesn’t see him that way, doesn’t absolutely hate him or think he’s weird, that can change. 

Nyx swallows, but smiles at Ignis, resolving that this is his chance to redeem himself, and it’s going to be anything but a disaster.

\---

Rare is it that anyone  _ knocks  _ on Noct’s door. He gets the occasional delivery. The occasional visit from the elder lady a floor below when she runs low on flour or sugar for her baking experiments. Ignis and Gladio have their own keys, and Prompto usually texts when he’s on his way to give Noct the chance to unlock the door. Other than that, he remains relatively undisturbed. 

So he’s confused when he hears a gentle knocking at his door at six PM, interrupting his deep contemplation on whether or not he should venture out to treat himself to an ice cream. 

Confusion swiftly turns into dread the moment he opens the door and finds himself faced with Nyx. 

“Hi.” Nyx greets him, smiling for barely a moment before he’s glancing at the floor and over his shoulder. He’s still in uniform, save for his signature coat that’s slung over the other shoulder, and he suddenly appears lost. Like he’s not sure if he’s in the right place or debating if he should be here to begin with. 

“Hi.” Noctis doesn’t know what to say outside of that. He can barely think straight outside of his heart palpitating uncomfortably. Can barely find the logic in why Nyx would go out of his way to show up at his door. He thought he had bailed on their training together for the greater good. To save them both from suffering the awkwardness. 

“I promise I’m not a stalker.” He explains. “Ignis told me where I could find you, and I heard you were feeling under the weather.”

Ignis - the traitor. The vegetable agenda is one thing. Making him face his inner conflict with his stupid crush on Nyx Ulric is another. He had tried to persuade Noctis out of skipping the training. Reminded him of all the points Prompto had made previously: he’s overthinking and there’s more to this than he’s allowing himself to realize. Noctis did what he did best when his brain couldn’t overpower irrationality: He ignored Ignis completely. 

And now he’s paying the price. Nyx probably knows he isn’t sick, and Noct would give anything to have the ground swallow him up right now.

“I, uh -”

“You don’t have to explain yourself. I get it. Even I get sick of me sometimes.”

“That not what I…” Gods, somehow he made things worse. “I didn’t mean…”

“Didn’t mean it like that?” Nyx smirks at him. “I get that too. Kinda like how I didn’t mean that fist bump the other day.” Noctis frowns at him, waiting to explain. “The other day, I thought I scared you off and it’s been bumming me out ever since… because what I  _ meant  _ to do was ask you out to dinner.”

Somewhere, off in the distance, Noctis swears he can hear Prompto chanting  _ I told you so _ . He can already  _ feel  _ Ignis’ all knowing stare conveying the exact same words. Still, Noct can only stare at Nyx in disbelief as his brain grapples with the reality he so inaccurately perceived. For a moment he questions whether or not this is some cruel dream his anxiety conjured up to add insult to injury. A practical joke, perhaps, waiting to blow up in his face.

It doesn’t change the fact that there’s the faintest dusting of red on Nyx’s cheeks. Or that the way he’s smiling at him releases butterflies in his stomach. In all these days he’d spent avoiding Nyx, trying to think about anything but him, Noctis almost forgot how easy it was to be mesmerized by him. The smoothness of his voice, the dimples in his cheeks, the stubble lining his jaw, and the way he always seems to look at Noct so kindly as if there’s nothing he should ever have to fear around him. 

“You mean…” Noctis manages to start, blinking several times just in case he wakes up. “This whole time you haven’t been thinking I’m some kind of freak?”

“For using my fist as a microphone?” Nyx chuckles. “Not at all. I thought it was a little dorky. In a cute way, though. I’m the one that kinda blew it here.”

“Maybe we both did.” Noct, feeling the weight suddenly dropping from his shoulders, smiles and rubs the back of his neck. “Guess I feel kinda stupid for trying so hard to avoid you now.”

“Could make it up to me if you want. Over take-out. Ever had Galahdian?”

“Always wanted to try it.” Noctis says pointedly, biting his lower lip.

“Tomorrow around this time. I’ll come pick you up. What do you say?”

“I say,” Noctis smirks, raising a closed fist at him, “it’s a date.”

Nyx frowns at the fist momentarily, but then bursts into laughter, bumping it with his own. He gently curls his fingers under Noct’s, bringing his knuckles close to his lips. If he dares to say  _ hello  _ against them, Noct’s already considering punching his shoulder.

Instead, Nyx kisses them slowly, locking eyes with Noctis until he can’t help but blush.

“Looking forward to it, Your Dorkiness.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is based entirely on [this tweet](https://twitter.com/starrynoctsky/status/1294269481569509376?s=20) that Sous (ily, I finally wrote you something! <3) tagged me in a while ago. Changed the ending up a bit than what was originally talked about in the thread, but hopefully still enjoyable! :D
> 
> Happy NyxNoct week, friends!! I'd love to hear your thoughts ^.^


End file.
